
NOTE.—The remnant church is the spe-
cial point of Satan's attacks. Could he
overthrow the people of prophecy, he
would succeed in thwarting the purposes
of God. So from the first, when the people
of the prophecy came into being, the
"dragon was wroth, ... and went to make
war" with them. But in the text which
informs us of Satan's declaration of war
is the promise of the guiding light of the
spirit of prophecy. A review of the history
of the Seventh-day Adventist Church dis-
closes how "by the hand of a prophet" we
have been "preserved" from Satan's many
attacks.
One of the first tasks laid upon the
youthful Ellen Harmon in the early days
was to meet fanaticism. Her teachings re-
buked false views held by some on the
doctrine of sanctification.
Life Sketches,
pages 8.3-89. Attempts to set times for the
Lord to come were squarely met as she
was shown by the Lord that they would
pass by.
Testimonies, vol.
1, p. 72. Thus
the unity of the church was preserved and
the messages of warning through the spirit
of prophecy erected a wall of protection
against unstable and apostate elements.
8. For what purpose did Christ
place the gifts in the church? Eph.
4:11, 13.
Nom--Paul envisioned the church living
in unity, edified and perfected, with a mem-
bership stable in its doctrinal positions, not
"tossed to and fro" by "every wind of
doctrine" introduced "by the sleight of
men, and cunning craftiness." When Satan
in his efforts to mislead souls has attempted
to bring in misleading teachings under the
banner of "new light," what a blessing it
has been to the remnant church to have
messages given "'to correct specious errors
and to specify what is truth.' "—Letter 117,
1910.
It was so at the turn of the century,
when insidious pantheistic views were art-
fully pressed upon Seventh-day Adventists
as new light. Prominent workers, medical
and ministerial, who led out in promulgat-
ing these false views of God in nature did
not see the evil fruitage of such teachings,
which would have neutralized every essen-
tial Seventh-thy Adventist doctrine. Not
a few were intrigued by these beautiful new
I 88
views concerning the power of God in
everything. But at the most critical mo-
ment in the crisis, when many men knew
not what views to accept, Ellen White,
instructed in vision to "meet it," dispatched
testimonies across the continent, which,
arriving at the crucial moment, clarified
the issues, settled— the controversy, and
saved the cause of God. See the full, thrill-
ing story in
The Abiding Gift of Prophecy,
pages 330-342.
And so the church was saved, "not once
or twice," but many times. And the warn-
ing, saving counsels given to meet these
issues live in the Ellen G. White books
to protect the church today.
9. What did the messages of the
prophet Elisha do for Israel? 2 Kings
6:8-12.
NoTE.—The attacks upon God's people
today may not be in the form of physical
violence, yet they are no less real and
perilous. One form in which the archen-
emy brings his attacks upon the remnant
is from within, as misguided and overzeal-
ous souls misuse the spirit of prophecy
counsels that were given to reform, as in-
indications that the church has become
Babylon.
This was particularly so in 1893 when a
layman took that position and published
a tract, "The Loud Cry of the Third An-
gel's Message," proclaiming the Seventh-
day Adventist Church as Babylon and urg-
ing the coming out of a small group that
would give the loud cry and usher in the
speedy advent of Christ. The spirit of
prophecy clearly and squarely met this
delusion, and the Loud Cry offshoot move-
ment was checked. The counsels published
first in a series of articles in the
Review
and Herald
are today found in
Testimonies
to Ministers,
pages 32-62, and in a pam-
phlet, "The Remnant Church." Subsequent
counsels touching this point are also found
in
Selected Messages,
b. 2, pp. 63-71. All
of the writings are preserved to save us
from similar so-called reform movements
today. Sister White wrote:
"Although there are evils existing in the
church, and will be until the end of the
world, the church in these last days is to
be the light of the world that is polluted
and demoralized by sin. The church, en-